


Ain’t Nothing But a Family Thing

by Iamsherlocked07



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Kid Fic, Multi, mentions of kate and sam and mallory, queer kate harper, step mom cj is just a lot, the whole thing kinda reads as a where are they now post bartlet admin fic, these two own my ass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:27:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29149695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iamsherlocked07/pseuds/Iamsherlocked07
Summary: Molly stumps CJ with an important question.
Relationships: C. J. Cregg/Toby Ziegler
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	Ain’t Nothing But a Family Thing

**Author's Note:**

> This has been in my drafts for a while and it finally felt ready. I hope you enjoy! Thank you for reading.

CJ stood at the kitchen island perusing the multiple newspapers they receive daily, their endless subscriptions a relic from the days in the White House. 

Huck and Molly sat at the table, eating breakfast. It was just a few weeks before their 8th birthday and CJ and Toby had their hands full keeping up with their endless energy. 

“Hey, CJ, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course, Molls,” CJ replied, peering from behind the paper. 

“Why don’t we call you mom?”

CJ swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. They had avoided questions like this over the past few years but the twins grew curious with age. 

Ever the press secretary, CJ schooled her expression. 

“Um well...” she started, pausing to gather her thoughts. “I didn’t help make you two. So it’s a little different.”

Molly barely took a breath before offering a rebuttal. 

“But aunt Mallory and uncle Sam didn’t make their baby. They adopted Jane and she calls aunt Mallory mom.” 

Toby was leaning against the door frame, watching with a bemused smile on his face.

After taking a long sip of coffee CJ tried another explanation. “You already have a mom, though.”

The little girl shook her head, unsatisfied. “Aunt Kate and aunt Jessie have a baby. She has two moms.”

It was clear there was no way out of this. “You’ve really thought this through, Molly.”

“A mom is someone who loves you and takes care of you and spends time with you and you love daddy. So we should call you mom.” 

Apparently all the conversations they had about being strong, independent thinkers had paid off. 

“I agree with her,” Toby rumbled, finally weighing in. 

CJ wheeled around to look at him, eyes wide. Molly wasn’t the only one who’d pondered this lately. 

“What about Andy?” 

Toby looked past her shoulder, taking a few steps into the room. “What do you think, Huck?” 

Huck shifted in his seat looking unusually shy. “I think,” he started, “I think she’d be happy that we have three grown ups to love us. She’d say we’re all a family.”

Molly nodded her agreement, smiling at her brother. 

“Well that’s settled then,” Toby said, his eyes locked with CJ’s. 

She cleaned her throat, looking back at the twins. CJ was uncharacteristically lost for words; the entire conversation sounded like radio static after she’d begun to imagine a life where she was considered someone’s mom. 

The twins’ mom. 

Having already moved on from the topic, Molly asked her second question of the morning. 

“Who’s driving us to school?” 

Toby laughed in response. “I am, we should get going.” 

Molly tossed the remainder of her toast onto the plate. 

“Race you to the car, Huck!” She was halfway through the door before yelling back, “Bye,  
mom! See you later.”

Toby wrapped his arms around CJ’s waist, pressing his chest to her back. 

“I think we have a future press secretary on our hands,” he rumbled as he brushed a kiss to her cheek. 

“I’m their mom, too,” CJ whispered. 

“Yes,” Toby said warmly. “That feeling never gets old.”


End file.
